Cord clamp



K. E. ROGERS Filed sept.` 5o, 1943 Patented Oct. 23, 1945 I UN IT El) A STAT ES PAT-ENT F yF-I'fCl'. Y '2,387,611 y l com) Karl E. Rogers, Niagara Falls, N. Y. .Application .september so, 194s, serial Nummer:

a claims. (ci. :a4-133) Thisinvention relates to new and useful improvementsin cord clamps such as yclothesline fasteners. One object of the invention is to Aprovide a `cord clamp which .is simple in construction, economical to make, and-easy to operate;

Another object voimy invention `is to `provide a cord clamp which minimizes. wear 'on thejcord and yetl has a positive and self-locking action. These and other objects will more fully appear and the nature of the invention will be more fully understood as the description proceeds.. n "Prior art cord fasteners, as for example clothes line fasteners, ,have been made which clamp the cord between a stationary surface and a lpi-voted eccentric member over which the cord passes. Such devices are hard to :operatesince when :once clamped rmly `on the cord the 4eccentric member is difficult to loosen. Prior fasteners of this type' have relied upon serrations upon either the stationary surace, the eccentric pivoted member, or nboth, to grip the cord firmly and obviate its slipping. ASuch ,serrated surfaces, howeven, have a cutting eiect upon the fibers making up the cord, and soon weaken or wear .the cord loompletely out at the location where it is customarily clamped. My invention .overcomes such disadvantages of previously constructed cord clamps. In the clamp of my invention l`the cord .is held in clamped ,position by pressure between smooth curved surfaces of 4a substantial radius of curvature relative to the diameter of thekcord, the clamping effect being obtained to a large extent as a result of the snubbingcofrthe cord around a projecting curved surface. `.Ils a result, wear on the cord is reduced to a minimum, since it is subjected to neithersharp bends nor the cutting `action of sharp surfaces. VlurthermoreJ :my

clamp, although self-.locking as a result of tension on the cord, may be readily .released or `tightened still further., both operations being carried Aout with one hand.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in

which i i L "Figure l is .a ,perspective view of -a clothesline clamp made in accordance with my invention, and

Figure Zs a cross-sectional view of the clamp shown in Figurel., the section being taken along the 4line 2 2 in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my invention is embodied in a clothesline clamp including a base or standard indicated generally by the reference character I. In Fig. l the base I is shown p attached in operative position on a vertical surface 2 such as a house or post. The base consists :of aplate-like portion 3 `which abuts and is held upon the support 2 bymeans sucn as screws 3", and two projecting ilanges l and 5 extending longitudinally or portion 3,' flange A being on one 4side ofpart 3 and part I5 on the other, `the `flanges being parallel and spaced iso as to provide a substantial space therebetween. In the drawing, `parts v1 .and 5 are 4shownas Ibeing made separately lirom .part 3 and as `being joined thereto by means of screws '6. It is obvious, however, that parts 'II and i5 may be made integral with part 3; The clamp shown in the drawing has its parts made entirely .of wood. llt is 'within the scope of my invention, however, to melee any or all parts lof thedevice of suitable metals, plastics, `or other materials leaving vthe necessary strength, weather resistance, and, inthe :case soi. those portions clamping the cord, an adequate coefficient of friction.

Flanges 1I and 5 are provided, :as shown, with aligned holes for the .reception of pivot pin ZI, which has `an enlarged head 8. For ease of assembly the pin is made of relatively large diam-- eter and is provided with a shortl tapered point on its forward end. The hole in ,flange z5 is denoted by reference Acharacter 9. Pivotally mounted on pin 'I between .anges 4 and 5 is 2a clamping member lo `'hav'mg 'an `upper cord receiving arm portion Il and `a ,lower clamp releasing arm porti-on I2. "The rear :surface I1 or pivoted member I0`is `provided. with a groove :I3 which is preferably although not necessarily `-vof a generally V shape with curved .'side walls as shown. 'The rear surface of :the upper cor-.d re-l ceiving arm H of member l may ibe curved as shown to allow the change of direction "of the clothesline from .a horizontal to :a vertical .direction to take place gradually. At the :same time the appreciable length of the .groove inthe rear portion of arm II provides a` substantial 'irictiona'l retarding `effect upon the cord :I'II in addition `to that produced .by the cooperating 'cocd gripping members I5 and It" now to be described.

Such cooperating cord :gripping members are composed of a smoothly rounded `projection I5 on part 3 in the lower portion between flanges V1I and 5.. andasubstantiailly correspondingly .shaped recess I6 in 'member 'I0 .so positioned that the.

through the cord clamp by withdrawing pin 1, removing member Ill, placing the cord in the groove in the arm, and then replacing member I and =pin l in operative position. Alternatively, the free end of the cord may be threaded through the device in assembled condition by feeding such end down into groove I3 past projection I5, which is easily accomplished when the bottom arm of member Ii) is swungr to the right.

The clampingl device shownv the drawings functions in the'follo'wing manner. The free end of the cord is v"grasped and pulled until the cord it at the desired degree of tautness.

Upon release of such lower free end of the cord, the ten-A sioned horizontal portion of the cord exerts, by.

reason of its friction in the groove of the upper portion I I, a considerable clockwise turning tion Il thereof acts as a lever. Clockwise turning of member IIl forces cord I4 to engage' prof tension upon the horizontal portion of cord I4 causes parts I5 and I Btoengage the cordstill more firmly and to increase the holdingeffect contributed by the V shaped groove in arm II.

When it is desired to tighten the cord to compensate for stretching thereof, such operation may be accomplished with one hand merely by grasping the cord below the bottom of portion I4 of member I0 and pullingV it downward. This releases the clamp, allowing the cord to be additionally tightened. Release of the pull ion the vertical portion of the cord results in the clamp automatically grasping and holding the cord at its new position.

Release of the clamp is effected merely by pulling the bottom part I2 of member IIJ to the right. This separates recess I6 from projec-V tion I5, allowing .withdrawal of the cord from theclamp. Because .of the length of portion I2 relative Vto the effectivelength of portion II, measured from pivot pin 1, such loosening opere ation'is easily accomplished.

.It is to be understood that the details of structure. and arrangement of parts may be variously changedand modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. For example, the projecting portion I5 of the clamp may be llocated on the portion I0 and the recess I6 may be located on the stationary portion 3 rather than as shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, I desire to claim as new the following:

l. A self-locking card clamp comprising two relatively pivoted members, one of such members comprising a base having spaced vertically extending ilanges projecting from one surface thereofrthe 'other of the members comprising a clamping member located between the two flanges lmoment upon member I 0, sincethe upper por-,L

and mounted thereon for pivotal movement in a vertical plane parallel to the flanges, the clamping member being provided with arms above and below the pivotal axis, the lower arm being appreciably longer than the upper arm, the surfaces of both the upper and lower arms confronting the base being provided with a V-shaped groove extending longitudinally thereof to receive a cord, means for gripping the cord between the clamping member and the base, said gripping Lmeans comprisinga smoothly rounded smooth surfaced projection located on one of the two relatively pivoted members a short distance below the pivotal axis of the two members compared to the length of the upper arm of the clamping member, and an approximately correspondingly shapedrecess located on the other movable member` in confronting relation to the projection, the lower arm of the clamping member below the cooperating card gripping means being of a length appreciably longer than that of the upper arm and extending substantially vertically below the pivotal axis, the grooved surface of the lower arm extending substantially vertically below the cord gripping means, whereby the end of the cord below the gripping means substantially contacts the groove on the lower arm throughout its length.

2. A self-locking cord clamp comprising two relatively pivoted members, onemof such members comprising a base having spaced vertically extending flanges projecting from one surface thereof, the other of the members comprising a clamping member located between'the two ilanges and mounted thereon for pivotal-movement in a Avertical plane parallel to thev flanges, lthe clamping member being provided with 'arms above and below the pivotal axis, the lower arm being appreciably longer than the upper arm, the surface of the upper arm confronting the base being curved convexly with respectV to the pivot pin from an approximately vertical direction in the vicinity of the pivot pinto approximately a horizontal direction at the top of said upper arm, the surface of both thek upper and lower arms confronting the base being provided with a V-shaped groove extending longitudinally thereof to receive a cord, means for gripping the cord between the clamping member and the base, said gripping means comprising a smoothly rounded smooth surfaced pI'OJ'ection 'located' on the base a short distance below the pivotal axis of the two members compared to the length of the upper arm of the clamping'member, and an approximately correspondingly shaped recess located on the clamping member in confronting relation to the projection, the lower arm of the clamping member below the cooperating cord gripping means being of a length appreciably longer than that of the upper arm andfextending substantially vertically below the pivotal axis, the grooved surface of the lower arm extending substantially vertically below the -c'or'd gripping means, whereby the end of the cordA below the gripping means substantially contacts the groove on the lower arm throughout its length.

KARL E. ROGERS. 

